My acquaintance with Georgia began with Batumi, the capital of Adjara. I first saw this sunny resort town in November. From the Kutaisi airport, the friendly Gourami driver took me to a real velvet summer.
Of course, I had heard a lot about the hospitality and lovingness of Georgians, but, as they say, it’s better to see once … It all started back in the transfer bus, where Gurami showed the whole spectrum of that same hospitality and male attention. In two hours, he talked about the city, the government, the weather, the family, and the must-try wine at his home. And yet, on the narrow and steep mountain serpentines, Gurami followed the oncoming trucks with one eye, and winked at me with the other, advising me to admire the incredible landscapes.
Winter holidays in Georgia
I remember how, at the next sharp turn, the Georgian said: “Hey, beauty, do you want to eat? Open the glove box…” Curious and slightly hungry, I immediately pressed the button, and an orange miracle rolled into my palms… There were tangerines in my hands. And they smelled so fragrant and so sweet, as once in childhood … And the sensations were the same: pure childish joy! And a second later I saw huge orange gardens.
Trees, as if in bright lanterns, green grass covered with sunny fruits, and even on the road – a tangerine carpet … “Wah, someone didn’t fit into the turn, scattered the crop,” the driver explained, thereby returning me to reality from orange nirvana. “Nat, but don’t worry, no one was hurt,” Gurami reassured me, seeing my frightened eyes. And I honestly believed him. And with pleasure, I ate the first dish that the country treated me to – the sweetest November tangerine!
On my first visit, I saw that Georgia, a part of which will materialize in the next few years and sink into oblivion in Ukraine. Even though it seemed so far away at the time…
Everything Is Transparent!
November 2013. We have the beginning of the struggle for the European standard of living, they have a living example of this. Handsome cops. Beautiful in every sense: both externally and in terms of workmanship. They are respected. They are loved. They are admired. Outlandish for us Houses of Justice with glass walls – a symbol of transparency and honesty (now we also have our own Kyiv document-service “Done”). And even the registry office in the center of Batumi, where you could come and sign right away (I recalled this wonderful place this summer, standing in line at Oschadbank and paying receipts for the Solomensky registry office. Twice).
I remember very well my then post on FB: “The House of Justice in Batumi is a place where you can get any document and issue any certificate – make a passport or register real estate. There are no long queues, dissatisfied aunts, bonus chocolates, sweets, coffee, or 100 UAH for information. Waiting time – from 40 seconds (!) In simple cases, up to 10 minutes – when you need to issue a document that requires complex work. Yes, a passport is made in a day here. And in Georgia, the police are very respected, they have high salaries, so the servants of the law do not require bribes from citizens. For taking a bribe, they are fired immediately. Every Georgian has health insurance. And this is a country in which 10 years ago electricity was provided for only two hours a day – and then at night. I really hope that a miracle will also happen in Ukraine, and sooner than it happened with Georgia.”
They say green is soothing. This establishment has done everything for the peace of mind of tourists.
Well, three years later, conclusions can already be drawn. But we are not talking about them, but about the beautiful city of Batumi.
Deep Harbor Of Adjara
Its name is translated from Greek as “deep harbor”. Batumi is located in a picturesque bay and already at the entrance its postcard view is impressive: unusually beautiful high-rise buildings on the seashore … We settled in one of them. It was the Radisson Hotel. The network of these hotels works perfectly all over the world, including in Ukraine. In Batumi, the main advantage of the hotel (not to mention its extraordinary futuristic trapezoidal shape), in my opinion, was the huge panoramic windows in the entire wall, overlooking the sea.
By the way, in connection with the latest events in America near the Radisson, the construction of another hotel called Trump Tower was resumed. When Saakashvili once brought Trump to Batumi and showed the tycoon how much everything was renewed and built in the city, they decided to build a skyscraper in honor of Donald. With the change of power in Georgia, the construction was frozen, but now, when Trump became the President of the United States, they plan to finish the skyscraper. This is how, thanks to Trump’s victory, there will be one more hotel in Batumi.
Welcome to Georgia!
Well, we will return to Radisson. From the threshold of the hotel to the sea waves there are only a few hundred meters. So in the morning, admiring the beautiful view from the window with a cup of coffee, I immediately ran to the coast – to breathe the sea! That autumn salty air was intoxicating and invigorating at the same time, and I can tell you that there could be no better cure for a sleepless night! Why sleepless? Because I, a big dance lover, found a wonderful place in the hotel – the Clouds bar.
In this regard, a small little life hack for fans of bars and night discos. If you appreciate good music, like to dance and know what good cocktails are, you are welcome to the 19th floor of the Radisson (by the way, everyone can come there, not just hotel guests).
In the evening, local DJs and bands play in the bar. The bands are young but very talented. I have always believed that a true professional in his field enjoys what he does. This is exactly the definition that fits the performers who perform in Clouds. They sing world hits (by the way, they also have “Ocean Elzy” in their repertoire), dance with guests, and believe me, no one sits near the bar for a long time – everyone starts dancing to such incendiary performances. And they dance until the morning!
Well, then, for guests of the city like us, a direct course to the sea to reboot and go for a walk.
Immediately from the hotel, you can start the promenade along with the main pride of the city – the eight-kilometer embankment, called Batumi Boulevard. At every step, there are fashionable hotels with a casino (which is why Batumi is also called the Georgian Monte Carlo), cute cafes, and restaurants with excellent views of the harbor.
And, of course, the sights… The residents of Batumi are proud that their city has the tallest (200 m) building in Georgia – the building of the Batumi Technological University.
Not far from it is a 130-meter skyscraper, which is surrounded by 33 letters of the Georgian alphabet with ribbons. Locals say that the architect of the Alphabet Tower was an Armenian, and he wanted to add an extra 34th letter there (cunning!), but his plan was quickly figured out.
Many sculptural compositions are scattered throughout Batumi Boulevard. “Me, you and Batumi”, “Woman with a bicycle”, “Dolphins”, “Liberte”.
The most famous of them, perhaps, is Ali and Nino. Two eight-meter statues are named after the heroes of Kurban Said’s book, which tells about the love of an Azerbaijani and a Georgian princess. The father of a Christian Nino was against her marriage to a Muslim Ali. And although, in the end, the lovers got married, obstacles often arose in their life path, and meetings were replaced by partings.
The composition of the statues is very symbolic: first, they approach each other, merge, and then part again. Last year, the statues faced another test. Due to its proximity to the sea, the base of the composition was destroyed by water. And it was decided to move it away from the coastline. But, in the process of dismantling, one of the statues was damaged. Fortunately, today “Ali and Nino” is working again. What can I say, love works wonders!
Bachelor in Batumi
The most unusual among all the buildings for me were two upside-down houses. This is the House of Justice, reminiscent of an upside-down bottle and the “White Restaurant”, similar to the residence of the President of the United States. The locals even came up with a joke about it. They say that when the guests of the city look at these buildings and see them in a normal, and not inverted form, then it’s time to finish the tasting of wine and chacha … Speaking of the latter. You will be surprised, but right next to the hotel, among all these fashionable buildings, a small one-story house was lost, which we discovered … precisely by the smell of chacha! Returning from a walk, we realized that somewhere nearby the process of making this strong drink was taking place. And indeed, looking behind the dilapidated fence of a small courtyard, we saw an oil painting: two charming Georgians were making chacha right on the street! And what do you think they did seeing us? Of course, they were invited to try. And we … We agreed, but how else?!
It is very convenient to explore the city by bike. And to help you “Batumi Velo” – a European project of the municipality. You issue a card for a fixed amount and ride around the city on a two-wheeled friend. By the way, there are special paths for cyclists on the boulevard. Every few kilometers there are parking stations. On a bicycle, you can ride to another attraction of Batumi – McDonald’s. Just don’t laugh, because the fast-food building is considered one of the most unusual in the world. It resembles a crystal drop in outline, and oil in color.
A little away from the city center is the Center for Arts and Music, or, in our language, the Opera and Ballet Theatre. The building is very different from the usual Ukrainian theaters. Previously, it was an ordinary building in the style of socialist realism, now it is an incredible creation of glass. At night, the art center is very beautifully illuminated. But during the day it is also interesting to walk along with it – just the balcony with a glass floor is worth something!
By the way, it was here that the final episode of the last “Bachelor” was filmed. It seems to me that a place for romantic recognition is really worthy – it’s not for nothing that many newlyweds come here.
A Piece Of Italy In Georgia
We set aside some time for walking along the narrow cobbled streets of the city. At first, it seemed to us that we could get lost, but then, as it turned out, almost all of them lead either to the boulevard or to the city center, where the two most beautiful squares are located. One of them, Europe Square, got its name in honor of Adjara’s entry into the Assembly of European Regions. It is easy to identify it – there is a statue of Medea (it reminded me of the Statue of Liberty on Kyiv’s Independence Square). Medea was installed on the square for a reason. According to ancient Greek myths, she was the daughter of King Eet, who ruled on the territory of modern Georgia and having fallen in love with the Argonaut Jason, she helped him steal the Golden Fleece. It is with this rune in her hands that the Colchis princess is depicted on Europe Square.
Another Batumi square is called Piazza. The Italian name is fully justified, it was created in the image and likeness of the squares in Italian cities and is decorated with artistic paintings and mosaics. Concerts of world stars (Plácido Domingo, Sting, and Tamara Gverdtsiteli) are often held here, there are many cafes and restaurants here … It is here that the nightlife is in full swing!
And also, on one of my visits to Batumi, I lived in an incredibly nice hotel not far from Piazza. What’s special, you ask? And the fact that this hotel has rooms located in the towers (it was built in a medieval style) and you feel like a real princess looking out of the tower window and waiting for your prince (and believe me, you will find many contenders for your hand and heart here )!
